Method of making pencil bodies



July 28, 1925.

M. M. KAUFMANN ET AL METHOD OF MAKING PENCIL BODfES Filed Jan. 15. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 M MN.

' 1,547,399 M. M. KAUFMANN ET AL July 28, 1925.

MIMI" I v 3 J2 7519 i J? JuIy 28, 1925'. 1,547,399

, M". M. KAUFMANN ET AL ia'mnon OF MAKING PENCIL BODiES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jab. 15, 1923 XZZZUGEZOKS J Patented July 28, I925.

UNITED STATES MICHAEL M. KAUFMANN, JOHN r.

PATENTROFFICE.

LYNN, AND FRANK 0. Banner cHIoAeo, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS T REALITE PENCIL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLI- -NoIs, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

- METHOD OF MAKING P ENGIL BODIESV Application filed January 15, 1923. Serial No. 612,617.

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that we, MICHAEL M. KAUF- MANN, J GEN P. LYNN, and FR NK O. DELI, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of, Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Method of Male completing halves joining the same by the fusion of a quantity of the same material between theseparate halves. This process presents some dif- -ficulties' which are overcome in that which is here described.

It will be understood that the material 1. employed is capable of being fused, under heat and pressure, the resulting product being extremely hard and tough and by molding it under high pressure it has a natural polish. A peculiarity is, however, that the material can, so far as practical operations are concerned, be fused but once and therefore the completed product must J be turned out, in Ta final fusing operation. I Furthermore, in the production of pencil bodies it is necessary, at least in the presem instance, to mold the material so as to provide axialhopenings at either end' of the body or barrel. Inasmuch as it has been found in ractice that the bodies cannot be molded in one operation, we have conceived and put in practice a method by suitably shaped dies or molds and pressure applied thereto toglether'with suflicient heat "to partially fuse t e material. Thisfusion and pressure should be only that suflicient to retain the material in self-sustaining product or similar fusible pow-- which a suflicient quantity of the powdered material toxform a specified. plurality of halves of pencil bodies is placed between form. Even thou h the product resulting from this step is fi'agile and easily broken, it is sufficiently rigid to enable the inco'm plete product to be for the next operation.

It will be understood that the series of I are joined by a fin of material. The

halves suceedlng step conslsts in assembling two of said ser1es of halves between sultably handled and positioned shaped dies, applying. ahigh degree of pressure together withsuflicient heat to completethe fusing operation and to substantially entirely displace the material of the fins etween the adjacent sections. This results in fusing together the two halyes in such manner that no division line is visible and if'the quantity of material is exactly proportioned, there remains no fin or excess of material at the division point between the dies. Y

The axial openings in the body are pro vided by locating pins of proper shape between the halves when they are placed between, the final die, the ends of the pins projecting from the finished product. Thereafter the pins are tudinal movement; By th1s process the two major operations and no hand or machine work is necessary. I

stripped bylongipencil bodies are entirely completed in the L The method will be more readily understood by reference to' the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showin in the process, thefpowdere 1n the first step material beg shown in the mold before formation;

igure' 2 is av plan. view of the bottom mold or die such as used in the first operation; i

Figure 3 is a. sectional view on. the line x 33 of Fi re 2 showing the conformation of theprod and pressure thereto by, the dies;

of Figure 3;

Figure 15 is a sectional v1ew somewhatenlarged showing "two assembled halves of pencil bodies composed oflthe solidified ma-.

terial Figure 6 is a plan viewofflone of the dies employed in the final operation, showing in- Figure 4 is a View taken on the line 1-4 not after the application of heat addition, the pins or mandrils employed for forming the axial openings in the body; Fi ure 7 is a sectional view taken on the line -7 of Figure 6, the view being taken with the upper and lower dies in position; Figure 8 is a view taken at right angles to that of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a view of the press employed in the first step of the operation;

Figure 10 is a view of the pressemployed in the second step; i I Figure 11 isa side elevation of the stripping machine for removing the mandrils or cores from the molded product;

v Figure 12 is a plan view thereof; and Figure 13 is a transverse" sectional View through the stripping machine.

In the first step of the operation the powdered material, indicated at A in Figure 1, is placed on the bottom die 10 and evenly distributed, the quantity thereof being accurately determined by weight or measure in order to provide exactly the required amount to complete the blank or.biscuit.

The upper die 11-"is then placed in position and the assembly, which includesihe dies, the end plates 12, and the mold frame 13, are placed inthef press indicated in Figure 9. In that view two molds 13 are being acted upon. Heat is applied to the mold in any suitable manner, preferably by electricity, and the plunger 14 is elevated, the operator observing, by means of the gauge 15, the pressure applied. After applying a pressure of. ten to fifteen tons and ust, at the point where fusion of the material begins, as indicated by a drop in pressure, the force. is relieved, the die blocks separated and the biscuits removed. There will have been formed in each of the molds a series of halves of pencil'bodies which when assemtion, at oneside,

bled appear as in Figure v5. These blanks which are lettered B,- C, each consist of a plurality of semi-octagonal portions 16, each said portion being joined to an adjacent portion by a fin -17. *On the face of each porand at the other side a corresponding groove 19. At the axis of the combined halves is an opening 20. In the next step of the operation the biscuits, after being assembled as shown in Figure 5 witha rib 18 occupying a groove 19, are placed between the dies 21, 22, shown in Figures 7 and 8, the faces of which are" counterparts. In practice onehalf is placed in the lower die and then the mandrils or pins are positioned. In molding the pencil body here described, we provide an opening of varying diameter, .the larger opening being formed by means of pins 23 rigidly secured to the head block 24. The smaller opening is formed by a pin having a round portion 25 and a flattened terminal portion 26, these pins being securely held at the head block 27. The pins and blocks is a longitudinal rib 18- shown in Figures 7 and 8, the mold is placed in the press shown in Figure 10 and pressure applied to adegree somewhat greater than in the first operation. A force of forty to 'fifty tons together with suitable heat, suffi; cient to complete the fusing operation and to shape the pencil bodies as indicated in Figure 8, is applied, At the proper point the.

pressure is-relieved, the mold removed and the dies separated whereupon the head blocks and pins together with the molded pencil bodies are placed in the stripper shown in Figures 11, 12 and 13.

The stripper comprises a base 32 within which a screw 33 is mounted, the screw being provided with right and left hand threads as shown in Figure 12 and being adapted to be rotated by means of the hand wheel 34. The screw engages the blocks 35,

36, which in turn are connected to the slides 37, 38. The slides at each side carry arms having hooks 39, 40, thereon which engage in the grooves 28', 29, heretofore referred to, whereas upper and lower plates 41, 42, engage in the horizontal notches 30, 31, shown in Figure die members similarto those indicated in Figures 7 and 8 and. aclamping force is applied to the dies by; means ofthe pivoted arm 43 and the screw clamp44. The lower surface 45 ofthe arm is slightly curved as shown in Figure 13 in, order that the clamping force may be exerted on the center of the die. Thereafter, thehand wheel being rotated, the pins together with the head ,blocks are stripped, the plates 46 shown in Figure 7 remaining in position in abutting engagement with the ends of the pencil bodies; thus the possibility of breakage during the stripping operation is reduced.

After the pins are removed and the dies separated the pencil'bodies are in their com-. pleted form there remaining substantially no fin of material if the measurement ofthe substance has been accurate. The bodies are highly polished, strong and rigid, and of great hardness. The subsequent operations on'the pencil body such as shaping the ends for the reception-of tips, may be done by grinding. V I e As shown in Figure 7, we provide means for assuring the formation of a perfect molded material in another manner. It is always difiicult to provide exactly the required amount of material eventhough the 'measurement by weight be very accurately carried out. For that reason we provide relief spaces consistlng of grooves 22 in the ends of the die and these are in communica- 7. The pencil bodies are held in body, applying heat and tion with the mold space by a very thin space 22". This space is so narrow, being preferably about .002 of an inch, that the material can escape therethrough only in event of the most extreme pressure such as applied in the final step of the operation. At that timeif the amount of material is too great to permit the die faces to meet, the excess material will be squeezed out through the spaces 22 and will form a fin which may easily be removed and which will not mar the appearance of the pencil because of the location; the ends of the molded blank are subsequently shaped to accommodate tips and this renders unimportant any roughness such as occasioned by a fin.

The heat requisite for the molding operations may be applied in different manners. We prefer, however, to employ electrical heating units, indicated at 47, in Figures 9 and 10. These will be provided with suitable electrical connections and operating switches but as they form no part of our in vention they have not been illustrated.

In the drawings we have illustrated dies shaped to construct twelve pencil bodies simultaneously; the number is, of course, im material as the principle of operation is independent of the number formed at ,any time. The pressures applied in the two major operations are those found practical in the formation of twelve bodies at one time. Obviously many modifications may be made in the process and the apparatus and we do do not wish to be limited except as indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The process of simultaneously forming atplurality of pencil bodies of fusible powdered phenolic condensation products which consists in placing in'a mold a quantity of said powdered materialsuflicient to form a predetermined plurality of halves of pencil bodies, applying heat and pressure to partially fuse and solidify the material, the mold being shaped to provide. a connecting fin between adjacent halves, then repeat-. ing the process toform a second series of halves, then assembling said series of halves in a mold and applying heat and pressure to fuse the assembled halves and to displace substantially all the material of the fins whereby the completed pencil bodies are substantially independent. I

The process of forming hollow pencil bodies of fusible powdered material which consists in placing in a mold a quantity'of material suflicient to form a half of a pencil and partially solidify the material, then repeating the process to form a second half, then assembling said halves with a core projecting inwardly from an end thereof, then applylng heat and pressure to complete .a web of material, then pressure to shape solidification and unification of the halves, then withdrawing said core.

3. The method of forming pencil bodies, which consists in placing a. quantity of powdered moldable substance in amold, applying a relatively small amount of heat and pressure thereto to partially fuse said material and form a solid body in the shape of a portion of the completed pencil-body, then combining a plurality of said portions in a second mold and applying sufficient heat and a greatly increased degree of pressure thereto in order to said material.

.4. The method of forming pencil bodies which consists in placing a quantity of a powdered fusible substance between a pair of suitable dies shaped to form a portion of the completed body, then applying asuflicient amount of heat and pressure to said dies to partially fuse said substance and render the resultant portion self-sustaining, then combining a plurality of so formed portions between a second pair of dies, and applying sufficient heat and an increaseddegree of pressure to said dies to complete the fusion of the material and form an integral body.

5. The method of forming pencil bodies, which consists in placing a quantity of powdered fusible substance sufiicient tosubstantially exactly form a predetermined number of portions of a pencil body between a pair of dies, applying sufficient heat and pressure to said dies to partially fuse said material and to render the resultant product selfsustaining, the portions being connected by rality of said portions between a second pair ofdies and supplying sufficient heat and increased pressure to complete the fusion of the material, join the portions into an integral body and displace substantially all the web of material which connected the portions in the product'of the first step.

6. The method of forming pencil bodies which consists in placing a quantity ofa powdered phenolic condensation product between a pair of suitable dies shaped to form a portion of the completed body, then applying a sufiicient amount of heat and pressure to said dies to partially fuse said completely fuse combining a plu- Y substance and render the resultant portion self-sustaining, then combining a plurality of so formed portions between a second pair ofdies, and applying suflicient heat and increased pressur to said dies to complete the fusion of the material and form an integral body. A

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 9th day of January, 1923.

MICHAEL M. KAUFMAN N. JOHN P. LYNN.

FRANK C. DELI. 

